What does Austin 3:16 mean? Stone Cold Steve Austin's signature gimmick explained!

When you think of Stone Cold Steve Austin, you immediately think of shattering glass, deadly stunners, and an abundance of beer. You may even think of the term 'Austin 3:16', something that has become synonymous with his legendary gimmick.

Did you know that he coined the phrase during the 1996 King of the Ring tournament as a response to Jake Robert's biblical promo? Did you know that the off-the-cuff promo became such a landmark in wrestling that it was a runaway success in terms of merchandise sales? According to this report, it is the top-selling shirt of all time!

How did Stone Cold Steve Austin come up with the term Austin 3:16?

Stone Cold Steve Austin came from an era before scripted promos became a norm. In response to a religious promo that Jake 'The Snake' Roberts cut earlier in the night, the Texas Rattlesnake uttered these iconic words:

"You sit there and thump your bible and you say your prayers and it didn't get you anywhere. Talk about your psalms, talk about John 3:16, Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your a**!" said Stone Cold Steve Austin.

They say timing is everything, which was certainly the case on this occasion. WWE was neck-deep in competition with WCW at this point, and the idea was to shift to an edgier product. When Stone Cold Steve Austin captured the imagination of the world with this promo, it denoted that WWE was ready to cater to a more adult audience than the cartoonish product it had become known for.

The rest, as they say, is history. Even 25 years later, it is commonplace to see Stone Cold Steve Austin fans sport a shirt that only says Austin 3:16 against a plain black background!